'Gold Rush' Star James HarnessDead at 57

7/3/2014 2:53 PM PDT

James Harness Dead -- 'Gold Rush' Star Dies at 57

EXCLUSIVE

4:00 PM PDT: Harness' kids say James died a week ago, after suffering a stroke a week before. They say the funeral will be held in Oregon Saturday.James Harness, star of Discovery's "Gold Rush," is dead.

Harness -- who lived in Oregon -- had serious medical issues, including back injuries from a car accident that crippled him with pain.

He also had a serious addiction problem with pain pills, which triggered problems on the show. We're told he wasn't showing up for work and became so unreliable he was fired during season 2.